Maybe someone here has already posted about her, but my brother is a huge fan and played me some of her music recently...I was blown away.   Sounds like an early 60's Black soul singer with great jazz inflection..and one of the best voices imagineable.  Soo sad to see her self-destruct this way.  Seems to be headed in a very downward direction due to her personal problems with (drum roll here)...drugs and alcohol; mainly alcohol.  

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071115/wl_uk_afp/entertainmentbritainmusicpeoplewinehouse